How to Become a Notary in NM: Exam, Bond, and Stamp

To become a notary in NM, you apply to the New Mexico Secretary of State for a four-year commission by meeting the eligibility rules, completing an approved education course and exam, and filing an application with a $10,000 surety bond, a notarized oath of office, and a $30 fee.¹ Most applicants can move through the process in a few weeks once their materials are in order.

Who Qualifies

New Mexico sets five requirements you have to meet before you can be commissioned:¹

You are at least 18 years old.
You live in New Mexico or have a place of employment in the state.
You can read and write English.
You have not been convicted of a felony, or of any crime involving fraud, dishonesty, or deceit, within the four years before you apply.
You pass the state-approved notary exam.

You do not need to be a U.S. citizen or a permanent legal resident. The statute keys eligibility to your connection with the state through residence or work, not immigration status.² The criminal-history bar also has a defined window: it reaches back four years, not your entire record. Convictions inside that window disqualify you, and the same grounds can support revocation or suspension of a commission later, along with false statements on the application itself.³

Take the Course and Pass the Exam

If you don’t already hold a New Mexico commission, you have to complete a state-approved education course before sitting for the exam. The Secretary of State and approved providers offer the course, which covers notarial law, procedure, and ethics, and it is typically available online.⁴

The proficiency exam that follows is based on that course material. You need an 80 percent score to pass, and there is no cap on retakes. Expect questions on verifying a signer’s identity, keeping your journal, and staying within the legal fee limits.

Assemble Your Application Materials

Once you’ve passed the exam, you need three things ready before you file: a surety bond, an executed oath, and the application form itself.

The $10,000 Surety Bond

You must obtain a $10,000 surety bond from a company authorized to do business in New Mexico.¹ The bond protects the public: if someone is financially harmed by your notarial misconduct, the bonding company pays out up to the $10,000 face value. Your premium is far less; most New Mexico notary bond premiums run roughly $40 to $60 for the full four-year term, with costs varying by provider. State employees can request a bond through the General Services Department’s Risk Management Division.⁵

The Oath of Office

You execute an oath of office on the form the Secretary of State prescribes, and the oath itself has to be notarized by a currently commissioned notary. In practical terms, that means finding another notary to witness and notarize your oath before you submit the application.⁶

The Application Form

The Notary Public Application is available on the Secretary of State’s website and can be filed electronically or on paper. Use your name exactly as it appears on your state-issued photo ID; that’s the name that will appear on your commission certificate and your official stamp.⁶ The form also asks for residential and business addresses, information about any previous commission, and your signature.

File the Application and Pay the Fee

Submit the completed application along with your surety bond, the executed oath, and proof of your course completion and exam through the Secretary of State’s online portal, or mail everything to the main office. A nonrefundable $30 filing fee is due at submission. Online filers pay electronically; mailed applications can include a check.⁶

The office reviews your bond, oath, and educational records. Anything incomplete or inconsistent can be sent back for correction. Once everything checks out, the Secretary of State issues your commission certificate showing your commission number and expiration date. The commission runs four years from that point.¹

Order Your Stamp and File It Within 45 Days

You cannot order your official stamp until after your commission issues, because the stamp has to include your commission number and expiration date. The stamp must show:⁷

The words “State of New Mexico” and “Notary Public”
Your legal name exactly as it appears on your commission certificate
Your commission number and expiration date
The Great Seal of the State of New Mexico
All text in at least 10-point font

After your commission issues, you have 45 days to send a copy of your official stamp to the Secretary of State. You cannot perform any notarial acts until the office has that copy on file.⁶

If You Want to Notarize Remotely

A New Mexico commission does not automatically let you perform remote online notarizations. You need separate authorization: a separate application to the Secretary of State, a nonrefundable $75 fee, and approval before you conduct any remote sessions.⁸

The RON application asks you to identify an approved platform, describe how you will store journal entries and audio-video recordings, and show completion of an approved training course and exam. After authorization, you have 45 days to send a copy of your electronic stamp to the Secretary of State, and no remote acts are permitted before that stamp is on file.⁸

Fees You Can Charge

State law caps notarial fees. You can charge less, or waive them, but you cannot go over these limits, and your employer cannot set fees above them either.⁹

Acknowledgment: $5 each
Jurat: $5 each
Oath or affirmation without a signature: $5 per person
Copy certification: $0.50 per page, with a $5 minimum
Technology fee for acts on electronic records: up to $25 per act, in addition to the standard fee

Travel fees are separate. You may charge one when you go to the signer’s location, but only if you agree on the amount with the signer beforehand and explain that the travel charge is separate from the notarial fee and is not required by law.⁹

Keep a Journal for Ten Years

Every New Mexico notary must maintain a journal of all notarial acts performed. The journal can be paper or electronic. You retain it for ten years after the last entry. That clock runs from your final notarial act, not from the date your commission expires. If you resign or your commission ends for any reason, you either keep the journal for the rest of that ten-year period and tell the Secretary of State where it is stored, or transmit it to the Secretary of State, the state records administrator, or an approved repository.¹⁰

When It’s Time to Renew

The Secretary of State mails a notice of expiration at least 30 days before your commission ends.¹ You can renew at any point before the expiration date. If you completed the course and exam after January 1, 2022, and your commission has not been expired for more than a year, you don’t need to retake either one to renew.¹¹

Let your commission sit expired for more than a year and you start over: the full application process, including a new education course and exam. Either way, renewal takes the same $30 fee, a new surety bond, and a new oath of office.⁶

1
Justia. New Mexico Code 14-14A-20 – Commission as Notary Public Qualifications; No Immunity or Benefit
2
New Mexico Secretary of State. Become a Notary
3
FindLaw. New Mexico Code 14-14A-22 – Commission as Notary Public; Sanctions
4
Justia. New Mexico Code 14-14A-21 – Examination of Notary Public and Notarial Officers
5
General Services Department. Notary Bond Request
6
Legal Information Institute. New Mexico Admin Code 12.9.3.8 – Applying for or Renewing a Notary Public Commission
7
New Mexico Secretary of State. Stamp Requirements
8
Legal Information Institute. New Mexico Admin Code 12.9.4.8 – Remote Online Notarization Application Requirements
9
New Mexico Legislature. Senate Bill 246 – Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts
10
Justia. New Mexico Code 14-14A-18 – Journal
11
New Mexico Secretary of State. Renew a Notary Commission